


How I Met Your Mother

by Weltverbessererin



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Gendry gets topped in the most innocent way, Lap-sitting, a lot more straightforward than HIMYM, antisocial!Gendry, beverage sharing, cute meet-ugly?, extrovert!Arya adopts introvert!Gendry, mentions of Hot Pie, mentions of a chair, move your feet lose your seat, there will be no sexy times, this is inspired by my parents okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:01:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24303325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weltverbessererin/pseuds/Weltverbessererin
Summary: Arya: *sees some random dude took her chair*Arya: *points to her chair*Arya: that's my spotGendry: guess it's mine nowArya: *sits on his lap*Gendry:Gendry:*heart eyes*ORBeing his asshole self, Gendry takes Arya's seat while she's gone and then refuses to give it back to her.Arya adapts quickly by simply sitting on the stranger's lap.Gendry is too stunned to tell her to fuck off. Actually, he finds he doesn't even want to tell her to fuck off.Oh boy.--The lap-sitting fic inspired by real life events.
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters
Comments: 79
Kudos: 341





	How I Met Your Mother

**Author's Note:**

> I had a plans for how and when I wanted to upload stuff (if I ever finished anything, that is). This was not included in those plans.  
> I'm not gonna say much more here, but if you wanna hear me overexplain why I wrote and published this or are interested in some additional headcanons, head to my tumblr @welt-verbessererin.  
> But most importantly: JJ, you're an angel. Thanks again for everything <3

Gendry sits right by the gap in the circle (thankfully, because that means there's only one person sitting next to him that he needs to worry about) leaning forward with his arms on his legs, a bottle of beer in one hand and enjoys just sitting there.

It's only twilight, but the Starks' massive annual bonfire is already burning bright. 

He came early so he could leave early and still all seats except one had already been taken. Hot Pie had talked him out of bringing his own fold out chair, and Gendry came to the conclusion that not bringing it gave him an excuse to complain about the lack of seating and go home whenever he wanted…

So he felt conflicted when he actually found an empty chair.

On the one hand, he was glad to have found a seat because Hot Pie had immediately scurried off to get his twist bread started and make new friends (ew).

The plan was to sit there, drink a couple of beers, and look as surly as possible so he would be left alone until he really couldn't stand being there anymore and decided to go home.

On the other hand, it meant he now had one less reason to complain (and the risk of having to deal with more people).

A small brunette in a strappy top and high waist shorts appears in his field of vision. She looks at him, then turns to the two girls sitting on the other side of the circle's gap without saying anything. Her expression is unreadable. Puzzled maybe.

She turns back to him and points "That's my spot."

That provokes defiance in him, "Guess it's mine now."

And that would be the end of it if it were up to Gendry.

It isn't though where the brunette is concerned.

She doesn't even flinch before she pointedly takes a seat on his right thigh.

Gendry leans back in the chair and raises both hands in surprise, like accidentally touching her would burn him (where the fuck is he supposed to put his hands?). He looks around to see if anyone else finds her behaviour as strange as he does, but no one seems to take notice of the actually  _ pretty _ noteworthy event currently happening in his life.

She looks at him from over her shoulder with raised brows, challenging him to protest. When he doesn't, she turns forward again and resumes her conversation.

Normally,he'd tell any girl who was coming on to him  like that to piss off. But normally, they don't just flop down on his lap like they belong there.

_

Gendry is confused. 

(Though, mostly annoyed with himself)

There's a stranger sitting on him. And he's letting her. That's not beneficial for his reputation.

People might start to think he wants them to interact with him.

_ Girls _ might start to think he wants them to interact with him.

Why the hell can't he just tell her to get off him? (Why does he not  _ want _ her to get off him?). 

Sure, she doesn't weigh anything, so it's not like she's bothering him that much. She's also small enough that she doesn't obstruct his view of the bonfire and… that's why he's here right? He has enough room to move his beer to his mouth, too. No reason to complain, really.

Honestly, she's barely noticeable except for the warmth she's spreading to his knee and thigh.

(Also, it's not like he can't appreciate a pretty girl on his lap. 

Wait, what)

She had been quicker than him. That's it. Sat down before he could say anything.

He is stronger though, he could just shove her off…

Hot Pie would probably cause a scene if the girl herself didn't **.** Telling him how rude he is behaving and to use his words, not his muscle **;** making Gendry the center of attention.

So he decides to keep his mouth shut and his hands to himself.

_

He learns a bit about her by listening to her talking to her friends, except her name. (Not that he's eavesdropping.  _ She _ sat on  _ his _ lap after all, and how could he possibly  _ not _ listen in on her conversation? She really couldn't blame him.)

What he learns is that he has no idea why in the Seven Hells she'd put up with someone like him. Not that they'd talked much, or… at all. But she kinda chose his company, right?

He decides she's way too good for him, even if she doesn't know it, and to not get his hopes up (not that they'd been up in the first place. Of course they haven't). 

It doesn't mean anything that she sat on  _ his _ lap specifically. 

Well, he stole her seat. He was in her spot, and there were no more chairs. That's all. And it's not like she could just conjure one out of thin air.

She gets up once and, when she doesn't come back for a while, Gendry is getting nervous she'll stay gone. 

He doesn't even know her name for fuck's sake. 

He's started absentmindedly picking the label of his beer bottle.

A girl that bold who doesn't annoy the life out of him and seems way too cool to associate with him in the first place? 

Yeah, he had to tie her down, didn't he? (Figuratively speaking.

Although…)

And now he might never see her again.

Serves him right. He needs to learn to open his mouth every now and then.

If he continues this way, people will keep on leaving him. He first had been his father by never being there to begin with. Then his mother, then Mott. 

Most people didn't even stay long enough to consider it leaving.

Frankly, he's quite surprised Hot Pie is still around.

Now his mystery girl is gone too. He really liked her.

He could ask her friends about her. They're still there.

But that would require talking to two strangers. Well, technically he supposes he would just have to ask  _ one _ of them-

"Here you go," he looks up to see a soft-looking (yes he notices stuff like this about her, okay?) hand holding out a beer bottle to him. 

He only stares at her for a second before accepting the bottle. 

Then, still awestruck, he leans back and while taking a draught, puts his other arm on the armrest and stretches out his legs a bit to get comfortable (and to make it easier for her to sit back down again). 

He's still processing that she came back.

She looks pleased and, drinking from her own bottle resumes her place on his leg, choosing his left one this time. He thinks it's very considerate of her to give his right leg a break. Because even if she's light as a spark, it  _ was _ getting kinda uncomfortable.

_

He needs to pee, he's had three beers, but he can't bring himself to ask her to get up.

_

At some point, she gets up again, and his heartbeat accelerates for fear this might be the time she leaves for good. 

He stares at his now empty thigh. 

It would be entirely his own fault, he's had plenty of time to think about what he could do in this scenario, but he didn't. And now his mind is blank-

She kicks his foot; hard.

He looks up.

The way she stares at him expectantly makes him think he might've missed something.

"Sorry?" He says.

"I asked you if you wanted to come for a walk with me. Get some fresh air."

"Fresh air?" They _ are _ outside… right?

She tips her head toward the fire behind her "Away from the smoke. Thought you might want to move your legs a bit?"

His brain short circuits. 

She wants wha-  _ oh _ .

His  _ yes _ may sound a bit too desperate, and the way he's nearly falling over his own feet trying to get out of the low chair doesn't help him appear more casual either, but he couldn't care less.

_

She leads him away from the fire to the edge of the woods.

"Are you gonna tell me your name or do I have to keep calling you Stupid?"

"Stupid?"

"What I've been calling you in my head."

"Oh. 

Gendry. 

Waters."

She doesn't say anything back.

"Um, sorry and what's your name?"

"My name? Arya," She says it like should be obvious.

_

They bump arms for the umpteenth time (due to their height difference it's more like his triceps and her shoulder). That's how close they've been walking next to each other.

And he has his hands in his pockets. 

Why does he have his hands in his pockets? 

If he didn't, she could take his hand and hold it (hers are swinging freely by her sides).

Or, (crazy concept)  _ he _ could take  _ hers _ .

Slowly -he doesn't want to be too obvious about it- he takes his hands out of his pockets.

(He's being stupid isn't he).

_

Somehow she gets him to talk about himself and somehow that doesn't seem to put her off.

She doesn't take his hand and neither does he.

-

"So what are we doing tomorrow?"

That makes Gendry grin happily.

"Didn't know we had a date."

Fuck, he really just said that without thinking didn't he? She may not have meant it like that.

It doesn't irritate her though, "Thought I'd ask."

He just smiles at her. 

She looks back and even her  _ eyes _ are smiling. 

It takes his breath away.

"Pick me up for dinner tomorrow then?"

"And where do I pick you up?"

Arya glances around. "Where I live?"

(That, for some reason, he understands relatively quickly)

"You're a Stark?"

"Is that a problem?"

He laughs.

"Should've known you were just another rich girl." 

The way she does what she wants and acts like she owns the place actually makes a lot more sense now. But if he were to say it, he'd mean it in an awed way, because he's impressed by her confidence.

"I bet you don't know any other rich girls." 

Had any other rich girl (okay anyone else, really) said that to him, his inferiority complex would've kicked in. Coming from her, somehow, his response is to laugh.

_

"So you're a Smith?"

"Locksmith, yeah."

"Huh. Could you… actually, never mind"

"What."

"It's stupid, forget it."

"C'mon."

"Could you… make a sword?"

His answer comes automatically,

"Can't be too difficult." 

He's bluffing though, one hundred percent bullshitting. He's a locksmith _ ,  _ he knows about  _ welding _ , not smithing. 

But by the Gods themselves, he would figure out how to make her a sword. The best one too.

"Any special requests, m'lady?"

She snorts (not very ladylike).

"M'lady?" 

"Seems fitting for a rich girl who asks for a custom made sword."

"I just like swords, okay?"

"Okay."

_

They keep going round the general bonfire area in large circles.

"Aren't you getting cold?" 

She's still only wearing a flimsy top.

"I'm a Northerner, I don't get cold."

"Okay."

…

"Why do you ask?"

"Would've given you my flannel if you were."

…

"You know what, with the heat from the fire gone…"

He snorts, then shrugs out of his flannel, the action giving him goosebumps (he pretends it's all because of Arya's presence and proximity though, can't have his weak Southron blood run cold next to a true Northerner)

He hands the shirt to her, she throws it on and crosses her arms over her chest and, not as inconspicuous as she thinks, presses her face to her shoulder to sniff the fabric (the action does something to his belly).

She practically drowns in it. 

Her shorts disappear and make it look like his shirt is all she's wearing. It's the sexiest thing he's ever seen.

_

Hot pie texts him on the way back to the fire that he's gone (he has to get up early for work), and he only checks his phone because it buzzed, otherwise he'd not take his attention off of Arya for a second.

The time surprises him. They'd been walking around for longer than he thought.

It's also the first time Gendry's ever stayed out longer than Hot Pie.

-

On the way back is also when he realises that their chair might not be free when they get back to the fire. In fact, it's very likely some else now sits in it.

What the hells was he supposed to do then? He tries not to panic. 

Surely, she wouldn't just abandon him because he's lost their chair (when exactly did he start thinking of it as  _ their _ chair and why was it his responsibility?). 

She's asked him to spend time with her by going for a walk, so he can assume she doesn't just like him for his chair (never in his life had he spent so much time thinking about bloody  _ chairs _ ).

_

Miraculously, their chair is unoccupied when they return.

_

Back at the fire, she gives the flannel back, and he can't help feeling a bit disappointed.

"Too warm," she says.

However, it allows him to sniff his own shirt for her scent like she did earlier.

It isn't until they sit that he realizes too late he should've gone for a piss.

He's fighting the urge to bounce the leg she's not sitting on to distract himself from the pressure of his full bladder.

_

A couple of hours later, Gendry's hand lays casually on Arya's thigh, and he's content just staring into the fire, the night sky and at the back of her head (a very pretty sight) while she talks to  _ all _ the people.

She doesn't get up again.

(Throughout the rest of the night, her friends supply them with drinks)

Gendry drinks slowly, because he doesn't want to risk having to pee again.

When he'd come back from taking a piss (because at some point he'd just had to), Arya had sat down  _ right _ on his lap, like  _ right _ on it (he should really stop thinking about her exact position on his body). Not just on one leg.

Now she sometimes leans back into his chest or puts her hands on his forearm.

At one point he has to move her hair out of his face (it's as soft as it looks. He wants to keep touching it).

And when her bottle is empty, she takes it out of his hand without asking, then they pass it back and forth between them.

He's never been this relaxed, happy even, in someone's company; it makes him dizzy.

He's going to marry that woman.

_

Screw slow. Forget waiting til their proper date tomorrow. He's going to make a move tonight.

Otherwise, he's bound to regret not doing anything today.

And he wants her to remember this night, because he sure as fuck will. No woman has ever made him smile like this, _ feel _ like this.

Let's hope it doesn't scare her off.

So by the end, when everyone else is gone, and they are the only two people left, (she's standing cause she just said goodbye to her friends, Gendry had remained seated cause he doesn't give a damn about courtesies),

when she turns to face him again, Gendry sits up straight and pulls her toward him by her hand so that she ends up straddling him. 

She does so very willingly. 

He'd hoped to surprise her, but if anything, her smirk is smug and satisfied. 

He narrows his eyes but can't fight a smile and mutters "Brat".

"Took the hint did ya?"

He grabs the back of her neck and brings their faces together "Shut up". 

She gasps into his mouth when their opened lips meet and snakes her hands up his chest to dig her fingernails into the skin of his neck and presses closer to him, leading him to slide his hands from her bare thighs to her ass and squeeze.

With a smile, she breathes "Stupid".

Hearing the term of endearment, because he's decided that's what it is, makes him chuckle and relax back into the backrest, taking her with him. 

If this isn't the most comfortable position in the world. Someone will have to forcefully extract Gendry from under Arya, because he never wants to leave this chair (again with the bloody chair).

It dawns on him, then that she probably could've gotten another chair at any point during the night, seeing how she lived on the property and everything. 

He is  _ so _ stupid for her.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, for the purposes of this fic, Arya's friends didn't say anything when a stranger claimed her chair.
> 
> You know what to do now.


End file.
